Over 30,000 students appear in Class XII & Class XI exam

Kohima: Over 30,000 students today appeared in the Higher Secondary and the Class XI examination conducted by the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education while the indefinite bandh called by NTAC Kohima and JCC affected normal life in the state.

The students appearing in the Higher Secondary and Class XI examination are exempted from the purview of the ongoing bandh.

A total of 32,744 students, comprising of 25,015 in Arts stream, 2,496 in Commerce and 5233 in Science are appearing for both the exams, which will end on March 6.

To help students reach their examination centres in the state, the bandh organisers have allowed public transport, private vehicles and taxis to ply during examination hours.

Tomorrow the High School Leaving Certificate Examination for Class X, also conducted by NBSE will commence.

Western Angami Youth Organisation vice president Asa Seyie said measures have been taken so that students and teachers on examination duty do not face any harassment from volunteers of Naga tribal organisations in view of the bandh.

The Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) Kohima and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) have imposed a total bandh in the state protesting Chief Minister T R Zeliang’s refusal to step down on moral grounds.

The NTAC Kohima and JCC yesterday conceded to the request made by several Naga tribal students organisations and civil societies for exempting the students from the purview of the bandh.

Dobashis, who are traditional keepers of law and order situation under the administration and police personnel were deployed at the examination centres.

The indefinite bandh imposed by NTAC Kohima and JCC affected normal life in the state for the second day today.

NTAC Kohima and JCC said the bandh would resume tomorrow morning with the timings and exemptions set as per the convenience of the respective district tribe organisation.

Markets, banks and government offices remained closed and people preferred to stay indoors.

JCC organisations have clarified that the current movement should not be mixed up with any political agenda.

“Our demand is not negotiable,” the JCC said.

Nagaland government had fulfilled the demand of NTAC with regard to declaring the entire process of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election with 33 per cent reservation for women as null and void, while the second demand for suspending the police personnel involved in January 31 police firing on the protesters leading to the killing of two youths in Dimapur has been partially fulfilled as they have only been transferred.

The organisations, however, are adamant in their demand for the CM’s resignation.